


hair o’ the dog that bit him

by Queerapika



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, M/M, Werewolf Courting, and the biggest kink of all, leopikaweek, leopikaweek2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-07 01:29:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15898152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerapika/pseuds/Queerapika
Summary: written for leopikaweek2018, day 2: that boy is a monsterin which Kurapika has a hard time reigning in his emotions when he is sharing his apartment with a handsome, endearing and all-too-often stark naked werewolf.(featuring werewolves as a marginalized species, painful transformations and a very explicit final chapter)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In the rush of posting this on its respective day, I completely forgot to express my gratitute and undying love for zenelly, as she was so kind to beta this fic and shower me with support along the way. Thank u, zene, you're the best <3

The wind whipped and howled, yanking at groaning trees with the temper and dedication of an irascible child. Under the watchful eye of the moon, it tore fake spiderwebs off window frames and whisked away all that had not been cautiously secured: garden chairs crashed against fences, decorative pumpkins rolled down the streets to escape the terrible fate of rotting on a porch. Branches creaked in pain, a warning not to come any closer in case they might fall.

It was a night made for worrying, a night made for pacing and pitying every poor creature that was caught outside. Kurapika, infected by the restlessness of the wind’s temper, did both. He picked up tasks as an excuse to move through his apartment, only to discard them again and peer outside the window. Eyes straining to detect the hint of a shadow in the shadows, then aiming his frown up at the moon, who stared back, fat and impossibly yellow and powerful. Seeing all and revealing nothing, a selfish magician in its own right.

As the night grew older and the storm lost nothing of its stride or snide, Kurapika stomped into his bathroom, picked up books and old mug from the windowsill. Cradling his belongings to his chest, he leaned over the tub and placed a hand on the cool glass, which quivered as the night threw its full weight against it.

Kurapika stood like this for a minute, keeping a strange balance, knees kissing the ceramic rim of the bathtub, his mind toying with a decision. He cursed and opened the window, which was nearly ripped from his hands as the wind forced his way in, skirting the walls, ruffling toothbrushes and knocking over shampoo bottles like an overexcited beast.

But not the one Kurapika had been waiting for.

He locked the bathroom door from the outside when he left, because while he was foolish, he was not _that_ foolish.

Kurapika made a detour through the kitchen, putting his mug in the sink, placing his books onto an ever-growing stack in the middle of the kitchen table. He kept promising himself to finish them all, once he had a few quiet days, but quiet days, it seemed, had become a rare commodity.

Eventually, Kurapika curled up on his couch and closed his eyes as he listened to the song that the wind whistled through the keyhole. At times it sounded like voices, then like a whining dog, then like a wailing child.

He fell into a restless slumber.

 

A crash jolted him awake, and Kurapika immediately sat upright, heart hammering in his chest so loud that it almost drowned out the sound of claws clicking on ceramic tiles.

The noise was accompanied by a howl that might have been the wind, but Kurapika was already on his feet, stumbling to the bathroom door and reaching it, just as the scritching and scratching began.

“‘m here,” he told the noise, tongue too sluggish to wrap around the words proper. His mind and body were alert, but not awake yet, and he took in the events as isolated sensations. The heavy steel of the key under his fingertips.

The creak of the door hinges.

A wave of cold wafting over his skin, then hitting him with the unbearable and overwhelmingly familiar stink of wet dog. Kurapika ignored the weight of the shadow that brushed against his legs, circling him, and stumbled to the window first. He braced himself with one hand on a drizzle-sprinkled windowsill-

His grasp slipped and the world tilted and for a horrible, gut-dropping second he _fell_ -

Paws clicking and slipping against the ceramic, the shadow performed a strange fluid motion in which it spilled into the bathtub and rose from it at the same time; and with an undignified _oomph_ Kurapika faceplanted into a damp mass of fur.

Hot breath hit his cheek, smelling vaguely like pureed vegetables. When he didn’t stir - immobilized by the undignified and stupid turn of events, dreading what could have happened - the shadow let out a high pitched whine and tickled the shell of Kurapika’s ear with a rough tongue.

He turned his face in the direction of the vegetable breath and finds himself watched by a pair of golden eyes, a large snout’s distance away.

“This never happened,” Kurapika informed the beast which wore a fur of shadows and grinned at him with sharp and very white teeth. Then it licked his nose for good measure.

Kurapika leaned back to take his weight off the animal’s back although he was at no point worried he might have hurt his furry friend - it would take something far heavier than Kurapika to ruffle a wolf, much less one that had been as well fed and cared for as this one. It took up the entirety of the bathtub, its tail thumped a content rhythm against the walls.

“Shoo, Leorio,” Kurapika said as he stood up and tried to wriggle a foot into the space that the wolf occupied, “unless you want to close the window yourself.”

Leorio shooed, but watched closely as Kurapika stood upright in the tub and shut out the nightly chill. Soon winter would seize the town. And then the snow would start to fall and it would rob the night of its dark coat as it threw back the cursed moon’s muted glow.

A black wolf was easily spotted in all this glimmer. And then-

Well. Kurapika had already mapped out all of the worst scenarios; he did not need to go over them again, not tonight at least. What he needed was two large blankets, one to rub his wolf dry and another to swaddle him in when Leorio crept onto the bed, as he always did. It would do little to keep the dog stink out of the sheets, but Leorio would need the extra comfort in a few hours.

 

* * *

Kurapika knew wolves.

Although perhaps it would be more accurate to say he knew wolves in captivity - he had started working at the local zoo while still in college, to give his biology major a more practical context and to learn about the tools and limitations of animal preservation given by this institution. So, unlike the average person, he had a good grasp of how large wolves actually were. (Which was _terrifyingly_ large.)

And when he first saw Leorio in the wolf’s compound, he didn’t strike Kurapika as odd due to his size. What alarmed Kurapika was the fact that he was there _at all_ , because they had no black wolves among their pack. And the pack was well aware of this too; they circled the intruder, their bristled neck fur and low growling an unmistakable warning.

In this charged moment, right before the clashing of teeth and claws Kurapika did not stop to ponder the strangeness of it all or where this lone wolf might have come from, nor would he have cast his eyes upward at the full moon and see a possible explanation. He ran to find his coworkers or the vet, or all of them because someone had to do something before all of their animals would get hurt.

When he returned, there was no black wolf, just an irritated pack and a trace of something slick and dark in the grass below their paws.

“You sure it was a wolf?,” Kurapika’s supervisor asked, shining his flashlight down into the compound. It was quite a drop from the railing to the floor, and while one could imagine a stray animal falling in, it should not have been able to get out. The whole point of a compound, after all, was to contain the species it housed.

“I _told_ you,” Kurapika insisted, but he could tell by the valley between Izunabi’s brows that he was not believed. He couldn’t even blame Izunabi for that; the facts as they were did not support what he had seen minutes earlier.

“Well, they don’t look hurt, as far as I can tell. But I’ll tell the early shift to give the compound a proper check tomorrow morning. If they took apart a dog or something, we should find some remains.”

“I know the difference between a dog and a wolf,” Kurapika hissed.

Izunabi hummed and gave Kurapika a lazy once-over before he asked: “How long have you been up on your feet, kiddo?”

20 hours. 20 hours and he could feel every one of it pounding in his head, despite the four cups of cheap break room coffee that were churning in his stomach. But his heart was pounding up in his throat and he had never felt so forcefully awake-

Kurapika didn’t argue when he was sent home with well-meant advice. Really, there was no point because he was right and Izunabi was wrong and he had not enough hard evidence to back up his point and if he did not go, he might be deemed a liability. They were expecting one of their giraffes to come down with her baby over the course of the week and Kurapika did not want to miss that.

So he wrapped himself tightly in his anger and tossed around all the sour words in his mouth that he refused to spill and he went to the staff barracks. Slipped into the locker room. Slammed the door shut and punched the light switch as he muttered a testament of his hurt ego under his breath. Kurapika squinted as brightness exploded all around him, shaping a cold room with green staff jackets strewn all over the benches and a large dog-

_Wait._

Kurapika froze as he stared into the yellow-golden eyes of a wolf that slowly raised its nozzle from a half-torn bag from Kurapika’s favorite bagel place. A strip of salmon hung between its teeth. Its nose was dipped in cream cheese. This was _unreal_.

Not so unreal were the remaining contents of Kurapika’s backpack that had been spilled all over the floor in the pursuit of bagels.

“Shit.”

He had to pick that up. Right when he figured out how to deal with _the huge apex predator in the room_! And it was injured no less, bloody paw prints were littered in between Kurapika’s belongings, the fur of the left hind paw looked wet.

An injured animal was an angry animal.

The wolf threw back its head and swallowed the last bit of salmon, before it leaped to its feet and charged right at Kurapika. Kurapika turned, his fingers reaching for the door handle-

And a weight slammed into his back and pushed him forward and his head hit the door with a terrible _thump_ that reverberated in his skull.

The world turned bright, turned black, then bright again.

As he came to, he found himself lying on the floor, the room’s details blurring before his eyes. A weight on his back made it impossible to move or breathe. His nose and forehead throbbed with pain. His nose in particular felt stuffed and twice as large and when he exhaled, he sent a fine spray of blood through his nostrils. _Gross_.

The weight on his back jumped and disappeared; he could hear the paws clicking away from him, then making their round back and Kurapika strained his eyes to see without moving his aching head-

The wolf returned with a pack of paper tissues in his snout which it dropped, almost gently, on Kurapika’s cheek. Then it nudged Kurapika’s fingers, encouraging him to pick it up.

Kurapika _knew_ wolves. This was not wolf-like behaviour. This was the behaviour of a highly domesticated animal, one that must have lived in a human household and adapted to human mannerisms.

Or.

No. Kurapika refused to entertain the other option.

He sat up and grabbed the tissues. As he cleaned first himself and then the floor, the wolf dragged up Kurapika’s backpack and then picked up its scattered contents, one by one, and dropped them back into the bag. This was as good as an apology.

Kurapika told himself that a very well trained dog might be capable of doing the same. A very, _very_ well trained dog.

But the night outside was bright from the full moon’s light.

“Hey,” Kurapika said and the wolf perked up its ears. He held out his open palm, although he felt very stupid doing so, and said: “Tap twice if you can understand me.”

And the wolf raised its front paw and put it down slowly.

Once, twice.

“Shit.”

Kurapika knew of werewolves, too. But he was aware of them as a distant thing, something that was proven to exist but that he would never encounter in his live unless he put a lot of effort and research into it. They preferred to live in tight-knit communities, far off from human civilization and Kurapika could see how their fine senses would hardly agree with the noise and smell of a big city, something that even most humans struggled with.

For one of them to get stranded here...

“Tap once for no and twice for yes. Do you need help?”

It - _they_ did.

Through a series of yes-or-no questions Kurapika found out that the wolf had no place to stay in the city. Through a glance of his watch he found out that it was only three hours until sunrise. A choice was made then, the only _right_ choice.

The hours that followed Kurapika would never forget in his life. Stopping at the next best fast food place that was open at this ungodly hour and ordering a hopefully wolf-diet-compatible meal while being painfully aware of the large animal that was hiding nearby in a dark alleyway. The ride home in the blissfully empty subway car, stinking like food grease and anxious sweat. Trying too hard to look just like a guy walking his suspiciously big dog at 4.30 AM. Letting the wolf collapse on his couch and trying to ignore his own exhaustion in favor of searching the web on what to do with a werewolf, because he had a _werewolf_ in his home now, this was actually happening.

And then the wolf fell off the couch, and started to spasm. And the worst part began.

 

* * *

 

Kurapika woke. There was movement on the other side of the bed that carried through the mattress, accentuated by a distressed yelp.

Kurapika rolled over. He threw his arms and a leg around his furry companion, holding Leorio in the world’s clingiest embrace. As if by holding him he could restrain the force of the transformation. Realistically, there was nothing he could do, because it was always nasty and horrible and painful to witness, painful to live through.

First came the muscle tremors.

Kurapika could feel Leorio’s body jerking underneath the blanket. “I’m here,” he said, pressing his eyes shut, “I’ve got you.” It had to mean something. It had to make a difference, however small.

Then it would stop abruptly as the muscles grew taut and the limbs were stretched out and stiff and a cacophony of breaking bones tore through the night; joints dislocating and readjusting. Leorio tried to scream, but there was a horrible cracking noise from his jaw as it broke and reshaped. What escaped his throat was half sobbing, half choking. His chest heaved more and more erratically as the panic set in and Kurapika buried his face in Leorio’s neck, which was getting less hairy by the minute, and promised that it-

would be alright, that it was-

almost over, if he just held on-

a little longer, everything would be. _fine_.

Over and over he repeats it, like a prayer. A whisper in a storm of agony.

And then the silence hit.

Perfect silence, in body and voice. Muscles became slack; no air whistled through lungs, no bed feathers creaked in protest as one of the bodies on top of them turned into dead weight.

Kurapika counted the seconds in which he couldn’t hear Leorio breathe, and he had to remind himself that this, too, was part of the transformation. A natural response to the pain and the stress and the overstimulation, which was more than any human can bear-

And it always took longer than he was comfortable with. Every time he was left wondering _what if_?

What if this time he did not recover from the shock of the transformation? What if he was suffocating silently, his lungs unable to unfold wide enough, his vocal cords disobeying him? And all the while Kurapika would lie by him unaware.

Kurapika relaxed his tight grip on Leorio and let his hands peel away some of the blanket, looking for an arm to map with his palm, looking for a wrist to grasp and a pulse to press his fingertips against. He found it racing under heat-flushed skin and breathed a sigh of relief.

Slowly, Leorio’s chest rose.

A greedy exhale ended in a cough, which ended in a terrifying lurching sound in the back of Leorio’s throat.

“Do you need to throw up?”, Kurapika asked, not unkindly.

Leorio nodded.

“Do you think you’ll make it to the bathroom?”

The merest headshake.

Kurapika rolled out of bed with practised ease; there was a plastic bowl already waiting by his nightstand because he had learned from the previous cycles. He guided it into the miserable circle of Leorio’s arms and rested his palm against a sweat-slick forearm, providing gentle albeit meager comfort before he retreated with the promise to bring some water. He kept the travel size bottles in the kitchen to have an excuse to slip away and felt ashamed for it; for all the things Kurapika was willing to endure, he could not make himself stay and listen to- _this._

He shuddered as he closed the bedroom door behind himself.

 

The kitchen clock proclaimed that it was 5.49 a.m.

Kurapika prepared some peppermint tea and searched his cabinets for a box of matches that always seemed to hide somewhere else. He was moving even as he lingered and waited for the tea to brew, rising up on his tiptoes or curling his naked feet away from the cold floor but still it did not take long for the chill to numb his soles and creep up to his ankles.

Six minutes he endured like this; then Kurapika armed himself with the hot mug in one hand and the bottle and the box of matches in the other. He opened and navigated the door with his elbow and crept back.

Leorio still lay where Kurapika had left him, eyes pressed shut, brows troubled. There was a chair next to his side of the bed which doubled in its function as a bedside table and it was there that Kurapika put down the mug.

“Feeling better?”

“A bit,” Leorio croaked. His voice sounded as sore as his muscles hat to be. Wetness shimmered in his lashes and Kurapika wondered if those were tears of frustration or pain.

“I hate this,” Leorio said eventually, and Kurapika sympathized. He hated this too, most of all that he could do so little to make this easier. He offered the water bottle for Leorio to rinse his mouth and then went about the room to light some pine scented candles to chase away the sour sick smell that clung to the air.

He kept looking over his shoulders, catching glimpses of Leorio’s muscled back, his heaving chest. He did not stare but if he let his eyes wander a little too intensely, a little too fondly, why, it was just because the candle’s golden glow brought out the warmth of Leorio’s skin.

Even like this - flattered by the subtle yellow glint of the flames and flattering shadows they drape - Leorio could never be mistaken for a human man. His arms, hands, legs and feet were hairier than the average man’s and right after the transformation, Leorio’s nails extend to sharp points. His furry, triangular ears looked just like a wolf’s although they protruded from his head at just about the same height where a human would have his ears. Kurapika could tell from the way they twitch that Leorio paid attention to his every step.

There was also the matter of his tail, which was part of Leorio’s appearance, no matter what shape he took. Bushy and quite sensitive, covered in glossy black fur. Because of the tail, it proved quite hard to dress Leorio, who - to make matters even worse - also seemed to have an aversion towards certain types of fabrics and clothes-dyes.

This might have contributed to all the times in which Kurapika found Leorio strolling about the apartment naked, although he suspected that for all the complaints, Leorio just _liked_ being nude.

If only Kurapika could bear it with a little more grace, but no. Leorio was handsome. Attractive even. Robust and well-endowed, if you cared about that. Kurapika caught himself staring far too often. He was afraid that if he let his gaze linger for too long or let it trail too low, he might be tempted to... do something very, very stupid.

It had been too long since Kurapika had shared some intimacy with another person and he had thought he could do without it - that the small pleasures weren't worth the trouble. And then Leorio came into his life with his stupid, perfect body and his need for affection, with his sweet and caring ways, his absurd habit of howling along very badly to Carly Rae Jepsen songs. And no amount of of vomiting and Moonsickness could make Kurapika turn away from him.

By all means, it didn't make sense.

"Kurapika?", Leorio whimpered.

"I'm here," Kurapika replied and crossed the distance to the bed in a few desperate steps`. "What do you need?"

"You," Leorio growled, ever so blunt about his needs. "Can you come back here and... hold me? Please? Just for a little bit longer. I know I'm gross right now-"

"You're always gross," Kurapika offered. A wan attempt to make light of the situation, but it came out too serious, too stiff. "Do you think you're going to be sick again?"

Leorio grunted dismissively.

"Right. I'll be with you in a minute."

Kurapika took the bowl and slipped into the bathroom, to dispose if its contents. He didn't breathe through his nose and barely through his mouth as he rinsed the bowl mechanically, sparing as few thought to it as possible. Then he took it back and left it on the floor by Leorio's side of the bed.

Kurapika crawled onto the mattress from he foot end to the middle of the bed and pulled the covers over himself. Snuck an arm around Leorio's strong chest and tried to navigate his legs into the space behind Leorio's legs, thigh to thigh, shin to calf, but appropriately separated by a few layers of blankets.

"I got you," Kurapika whispered again, because he knew Leorio needed to hear it. And then he placed a gentle kiss on Leorio's shoulder and pretended that this was for his sake too.

 

Somehow, he drifted into slumber again.

Dreams like an oil spill haunted him; shifting, spoiling his mood and sticking to his mind even after he woke, long after their content eluded him. Kurapika's mouth felt stale and the covers around his body suffocated him with their heat.

Then Leorio shifted in his arms and Kurapika is truly awake. Alert.

With all the fragility of an old man, Leorio propped himself up and kicked off his blankets.

"Heading to the bathroom?", Kurapika asked and folded his arms underneath his head.

"Yeah."

"Do you need-"

"No!" Leorio barked, loud enough to make himself flinch. "I'm... I'll be fine." The way he _didn't_ turn to look at Kurapika revealed more than his words.

"Great," Kurapika replied, trying (and failing) to keep his sarcasm in check. Leorio was incredibly tone-sensitive, as if to make up for his lack of social understanding. "Just shout if you change your mind." And with that, he rolled over and stared at the wall, surly.

The mattress creaked and bounced slightly as Leorio rose. His footfall founded heavy, clumsy, and his nails rasped against the drywall when he braced himself - but he didn't collapse.

Leorio slammed the bathroom door. Minutes later, Kurapika heard the toilet being flushed, followed by the rush of the tap, followed by the rain-like trickle of the shower. Kurapika tried to occupy his mind with the obstacles he would have to face in the near future. That was better than let it get distracted by the reality of Leorio's broad, freckled, _naked_ backside being doused in water, fine rivulets trickling off his skin-

_Focus._

Winter was coming. Winter was coming and he couldn't let his black-as-night werewolf friend dash through the neighborhood. Even if he bought a collar - if he somehow ignored how inappropriate and distasteful that may be - Leorio was too big to pass as a dog. And Kurapika was not sure he had the means to transform his cellar into a place where Leorio could safely transform. For one, the cellar wasn't heated, so in the winter it turned into a giant walk-in freezer. Great for storing food. Not so great for housing partially to fully nude werewolves.

It didn't help that whenever he asked Dr. Yorkshire for advice, she brushed him off with the assurance that there was no need to take such measures. Indeed, she would gladly keep Leorio in her clinic for the whole night, not just his initial transformation. The clinic had been built for this very purpose - to provide a sanctuary for the wolves who had started a life in the city or who were just passing through. A way to protect them, as well as protect the humans from them.

But Dr. Yorkshire was a wolf herself, as well as the rest of her staff. And while she was able to look after her patients for the most part of the night, in the first hours of dawn when each of them was too weak to move, they were on their own. Lying paralyzed on the floor of a padded room, every muscle screaming with pain. No one around to provide a single kind word or a soothing touch to make it easier.

Everything in Kurapika revolted against the thought of leaving Leorio alone in this place.

Leorio needed comfort. And Kurapika needed to know that he was alright.

 

Although Leorio was very much not a dog, one could not deny that he owned some very canine traits. A constant need of affection and attention, for example. High pitched whining when he didn't get what he want. Not to mention a general air of drama - Leorio would sigh so deeply as though the world was ending. He also could not stay mad for long.

When he came back from the bathroom, Leorio just flopped his still wet, still naked body onto the mattress and threw his huge arms around Kurapika.

"Hey! Hey, hey!", Leorio whispered. Kurapika could hear his tail thump against the mattress and had to hold back a smile.

"What is it?"

"You're great."

Kurapika snorted. "Uh-huh. What did you break this time?"

"Nothing! I swear. I just. Wanted to make sure you know. Do you have work today?"

"No, I took the day off." He always stayed home the day after a full moon, knowing that he wouldn't get a proper night's worth of sleep anyway. And knowing how very needy Leorio was the morning after. How ravished. Yet, Leorio never took it for granted. Kurapika kind of liked that. He also liked these lazy mornings, no obligations, just cuddling.

Leorio nudged his cold nose against Kurapika's nape. "Can we have pancakes for breakfast?"

"Sure."

"And scrambled eggs?"

"Of course," Kurapika replied softly.

"And bacon?"

"You know bacon isn't good for you."

"Please?", Leorio begged. "Pleeeeease?" He cuddled up even tighter and nuzzled his face against Kurapika's neck.

He tried to harden his heart against the sweetness of this puppy love, but his resolve crumbled with every childish whine, every pleading peck on his cheek. "Alright, but just a little bit. No seconds. And you gotta help me with the dishes afterwards."

"Everything," Leorio promised. "I'll do everything. I'll be a good boy, I promise."

Kurapika's heart stumbled. "Don't talk like that, you're not a dog."

"Sorry."

"No, it's... it's fine. You know that you don't have to do any tricks to get treats, right?"

Leorio chuckled. "I know, I know. Just my fair share of the chores because I am an equal member of this household," he said. Teased. Because Kurapika had repeated these words over and over, hoping that they would sink in. Afraid that Leorio would feel obligated to repay Kurapika for staying with him. "I'm only offering what I want to offer."

There it was again. The earnest, soft promises that seemed to mean more than just what their words was worth. The kind of statement that Kurapika would cling to, that he would pick apart and over-analyze until he was more confused than before.

"I guess that means I'll have to postpone showering until I'm done with breakfast. Ugh."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to stink like frying grease for the rest of the day." Kurapika made a disgruntled noise.

"Are you angry with me?", Leorio asked quietly. Too tone-sensitive for his own good.

"No, I just don't like putting off showering. Makes me feel unclean."

"But you're not." Leorio brushed his palm along the length of Kurapika's arm, and Kurapika held his breath. "Your skin is still soft and dry, not tacky or dusty. You know, you humans don't have to shower quite as often as you think you do. You'll notice if your skin actually gets gross."

"People sweat, Leorio," he pressed. Suddenly too aware how close they were, how few layers of fabric separated the curve of Kurapika's ass from Leorio's dick.

Leorio hummed, low. The vibration seemed to sink right beneath Kurapika's skin. "But you don't stink. And I don't like it when you wash off my scent. I worked hard to get it on there."

And it didn't matter that Leorio was just joking because the idea of being claimed... of being marked as Leorio's... it sent his heart racing. All too often, he had the most embarrassing dreams, of how easy it would be for Leorio to just tear the clothes off Kurapika's body and take him. And maybe Kurapika wanted him to.

"You're such a liar," Kurapika whispers. His own voice sounds hollow to his ears. "You're just going to come cuddle and rub yourself all over me again. I'm doing you a favor by giving you an excuse."

"Mm. True." Leorio laughed. His hand wraps tightly around Kurapika's wrist, thumb circling over his pulse. It brings Kurapika's blood to a boil. "But I like your scent too, you know. Can't rub that on you. Although, I suppose, I could make you sweat. Chase you around the house a bit." And then he dragged his tongue along the sensitive shell of Kurapika's ear.

Kurapika shuddered. His toes twitch and if he hadn't been hard before, he was now. Trapped between the desire to turn and open himself to whatever tender attention Leorio might have to offer and wanting to run, run far away because-

Because he was 90 percent sure Leorio had no clue what he was doing to him. They had implemented a strict no-tongue policy because 'humans don't show their affection by licking, Leorio' - and as a result Leorio just wouldn't stop peppering Kurapika with innocent kisses. But sometimes he forgot.

"I think we should get up," Kurapika said. He needed to slip into the bathroom, quick, to deal with-

"You wanna do this upright?"

"What?"

Leorio stiffens against him. "Oh."

"Do _what_ upright?" Kurapika craned his head.

"I thought-" Color was creeping fast to Leorio's cheeks. "I got it wrong again, didn't I? Look, I'm sorry, forget what I said, you scent threw me off. I forgot that- I forgot myself." He took his hands off Kurapika, almost defensively. "I'll go set the table."

"Okay?"

Leorio rolled over quickly and sat upright. Dug the his palms into the mattress as if he was trying to push himself up. And he remained like this, head hanging low, tail curled against his thigh in submission. "Kurapika, I'm... look, I'm trying my best to figure this out, alright, but it's... it's just confusing? It's like no matter how many rules I learn, there always seem to be more and sometimes I wonder if you play by a different set of rules entirely, and-" He dragged a hand over his face. "Tell me, is there some magical step in the human courtship rituals that I'm just missing? Something that TV and the books keep quiet about? Because right now I feel like I'm just messing with you accidentally and I hate that. I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not hurting me, Leorio," Kurapika whispered. "But you're not really making sense either." His throat suddenly felt too tight. Human courtship rituals? As in going on dates, buying people flowers, taking them to the movies? There hadn't been any of that. And yet it sounded somehow as if Leorio had been trying to come on to him, but it got lost in translation.

Which wasn't possible, was it?

"Why do you think you're hurting me?"

Leorio hung his head even lower and his ears, or rather the parts of them that weren't covered in fur, turned very pink. "Did you know that fear and distress aren't the only emotions I can pick up from your scent? It changes when you get... excited."

"Excited," Kurapika repeated. He felt as though his stomach had been replaced by a bottomless pit. "As in... cheerful? Anticipating?"

Leorio cleared his throat. "Arousal, Kurapika."

Kurapika wanted to die.

Leorio still kept his back turned to Kurapika, but he peeked over his shoulder sheepishly. "I can tell you like looking at me from the way you smell when you see me naked. So, I made a point of strolling around naked more often, but so far you didn't seem too happy about it. So I thought maybe I was wrong, but if we cuddle, it never takes long until you get aroused - and then you find an excuse to walk away. And I wasn't sure if it was my place to say something because the last time I offered you some relief, you got very angry."

Kurapika sat up. "The last time? You mean when you offered to pay your part of the rent in blow jobs?"

"See?” Leorio ducks his head between his shoulders as if expecting a blow. “You're angry right now!"

"No, I'm not," Kurapika hissed. He was _mortified_. His cheeks felt like  they were burning and god, he could punch himself for not assuming that Leorio's absurdly fine sense of smell could pick up more than just what animals Kurapika had handled at work. "And that was something else entirely."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't think you actually wanted to! I thought you were offering because you felt like you owed me something and I didn't want that. I don't want to use you like that."

Leorio hesitates. He turns a little more now, attempting to reach out, but losing courage half-way, and his hands curls into the sheet as an arms length away from Kurapika. "Kurapika, I- I need to know. Am I doing something wrong? You keep letting me close, so I thought everything was alright between us, but if you're aching and I keep making it worse... is there a reason why you don't want me as a mate? Something I failed to provide or something I lack?"

His throat seemed too tight. And his tongue remained heavy, unmoved. How could he give an answer to this? One that was both true and kind?

Leorio frowned. Then his face fell. "You're afraid of me now, aren't you? I can smell your distress."

“It’s not you,” Kurapika blurts out. "It’s the city. It’s no place for you to live and I’m afraid that if you stay, the city’s gonna kill you. And I don't want to be the reason that keeps you here."

"Oh,” Leorio says, such a small sound in the vast space of this king size bed. “That's... not the reason I expected."

"Do you really want to live here? In this place? If you never met me, would you still want to stay? Do you know that if someone wanted to put a bullet in you, they could just do that and walk away without having to face any consequences? Because you have no ID, you have no citizenship. In front of a court, you don't even count as human."

"I'm aware," Leorio said slowly, his brows furrowing.. "I've had to deal with this since I was sixteen. And it's not just this city, it's like that everywhere. Here, at least, I have the clinic. Cheadle taught me more about our people than I knew growing up in the commune. So yeah, I know my chances if I want to settle down here. And I want to stay with _you_. But you get a vote in that, of course. If I make you uncomfortable, I can leave. Cheadle will find another place for me to stay."

 _I don't want you to leave,_ Kurapika thought, but what he said was: "I'd like to talk to her, about the whole situation. Would you be alright with that?"

Leorio looked at him, confusion written plain on his face. "Sure. But you haven't answered my question."

"I know. You'll get your answer, I promise, just... give me a few days time to think about it?"

"Okay." But he sounded so small. Kurapika got the impression that Leorio wasn't okay with it at all, and unfortunately, he was very bad at hiding that fact.

"I want to ask her if there are ways to make things safer for you. I like having you with me. You know that right? I don't want you gone. I like knowing that when I come home, you'll be there, bugging me about the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy. But I also have to wonder every time I walk out of my door, if today will be the day that you don't come back from your morning jog because some asshole decides he doesn't like the look of you." He shrugged, helpless. "I wish things weren't so complicated, I wish we could just start all casually and see where it takes us. But it is what it is."

"Right."


	2. Chapter 2

Kurapika didn't see much of Leorio for the next three days.

Their neighbor, Melody, the sweetest, tiniest woman Kurapika had ever met, was in need of some repairs around the house. Simple things, like replacing some old fence, a new paint job. Of course, Leorio was happy to help out and of course, Melody was delighted to have him. He worked in the backyard, far from prying eyes. He watered her front yard garden in the late afternoon hours, wearing a sweatshirt with the hood drawn up and his tail stuffed in the pant leg of some very baggy pants, which worked just fine if you didn’t look too closely.

Kurapika had only night shifts that week, so when he came home in the morning, Leorio was already gone.

(But he'd made breakfast for Kurapika and left presents from Melody's garden on the kitchen counter.)

Kurapika always called her in the afternoon, to make sure everything was alright and to inquire if Leorio broke something they would have to replace. 

"He's a real sweetheart," Melody would say. “And very careful with my belongings. Don’t you worry about him, he’s not giving me any trouble.” And then she would go on about how Leorio chased away the squirrels from the bird feeder.

After the call, Kurapika would try not to think too much about Leorio at all. But he had trouble sleeping when the bed was too empty. When the house was too quiet. Sometimes, Kurapika had some Carly Rae Jepsen play in the background as he did the dishes, just to keep the silence at bay. He didn't even like her music, had no love for this upbeat 80s inspired pop. But he remembered the nights in which Leorio made him dance to that music. He remembered slowly swaying to  _ Favorite Color _ , three drinks pulsing through his blood and his heavy head resting on Leorio's shoulder.

Maybe Leorio had made his interest much clearer than Kurapika wanted to admit to himself. Maybe singing along to  _ Boy Problems _ whenever he was cranky was meant to tell Kurapika something.

 

Five days after the last full moon, Dr. Cheadle Yorkshire was finally ready to welcome Kurapika in her clinic.

She didn’t waste much time with introductions and led Kurapika into a consultation room that looked almost like a little library, but cozier. A round gray table surrounded by three modern gray-and-orange chairs stood in the middle of it and she beckoned him to sit.

"I have received your email and it took me some time to research all of your concerns, but I think, I may have some advice for you. Now, regarding your first question: I told you before but I absolutely do not recommend home transformations. I understand your concerns for emotional security, but this is why we have couple's suites."

"Come again?", Kurapika said because surely, he must have misheard.

"The couple suites? We have cells that are conjoined with a small room where a guest might want to stay. They are nothing so grand to deserve the name suite, just one narrow bed that doubles as a sofa and a bit of literature, to pass the time, music to drown out the, well, the noise next door. Sadly, barely anyone ever uses them. I think the paperwork scares them off."

"I think Leorio forgot to mention them,” Kurapika says and tucks a strand behind his ear, quite sure that Leorio had not forgotten, but kept mum about it on purpose. The question was: why? “What kind of paperwork?"

"We will require a signed declaration that you have been informed about all the risks of your stay and that we are not to blame for any injuries you might take  Our doors close based on external timers. There are three alarms that will notify you when the closing time draws near, but you have to make sure that by the time the last alarm goes off, your wolf partner is inside the cell and you are outside of it. In other words, it is entirely possible to be trapped with a transforming wolf if you're being careless."

Kurapika nodded, slowly. He didn't think that the  _ paperwork _ was the critical aspect that scared potential guests off, but he wasn't going to argue about this in Dr. Yorkshire's own clinic.

"If you'd like to, I can give you a copy of the declaration to read later, but I request that it stays in this very building."

"Understood."

She readjusted her very round glasses. "To move on to your next questions, there are legal steps that can be taken to request citizenship for a wolf, but these come with quite strict regulations. Even acquiring a legally accepted birth certificate can be difficult if the wolf was born into a commune that shunned any human contact. Although there are fewer of them, now. Luckily, Leorio does have a birth certificate."

"Right."

Dr. Yorkshire cleared her throat and said: "To be honest, I am no fan of beaurocracy."

Kurapika wouldn't have guessed that: with her prim white skirts, her immaculate nails and her level voice, she seemed like the very essence of a bureaucrat. No smile graced her lips - lips that barely moved as she talked to hide a row of pointy teeth. What she could not hide was the dog-like tip of her nose and the gray triangular ears that poked out of her long shiny hair.

Judging by the white fingerless gloves she wore, Kurapika suspected that she may even have padded palms.

"As I told Leorio already, the registration process can take years and the government is doing its best to throw as many hurdles in our way as possible. They require complete transparency up to a perverse degree. Of course, getting married to a human spouse will speed up things neatly, but interspecies marriage is... kind of a gray area. A friend of mine is a lawyer who specifies on the rights of nonhuman people and I can give you his contacts if you wish to pursue this further."

Kurapika nodded, although he already regretted not bringing something to take notes.. "I would appreciate that. Out of curiosity, did Leorio ask about this, too?"

"He did. Only a few weeks ago, in fact. Which is why I was surprised when I received your email. Considering how highly he values your input, I would have assumed Leorio had shared his information already." She folded her hands in her lap. "If you don't mind me asking, did you two have a fight recently?"

Kurapika maintained eye contact, well aware that he was issuing a challenge - and then, mustering more conviction than he felt, he said: "No. No, we did not fight. What makes you think that?"

"I can barely find a trace of his scent on you. Considering that he's quite...  _ affectionate _ , this strikes me as a bit odd." She pronounced the word  _ affectionate  _ with unveiled disdain. The more time Kurapika spent with her, the more he was convinced that she used to study human behaviour only through regency novels.

"Our schedules didn't quite line up lately."

"I see." There was a weighted pause, in which she tried to stare him down. Her ears flicked uneasily. "I'm afraid I have another rather personal question. I assure you that I derive no joy from prying, but for the benefit of our mutual friend-" 

"Just ask, then," Kurapika interrupted, trying very hard not to roll his eyes.

"Why did you inquire about our courtship rituals?"

"Pure curiosity."

Another ear-flick. "See, this strikes me as odd, because if you were merely curious, you would have asked Leorio about it. That you chose to turn to me about such an intimate topic, makes me think there has been some sort of... miscommunication."

Kurapika didn't grace that with an answer. Dr. Yorkshire narrowed her eyes.

"Of course, you don't need to elaborate. But I see no reason why you should be privy to this sort of information, unless you are concerned that you might become the target of such advances. In which case I can assure you that no wolf would make the foolish mistake of wooing a human in such way. That would be highly... ineffective."

"Ineffective?," Kurapika echoed.

"Yes. And that is all I will say on the matter."

"What about the other way around?"

"Pardon?"

Kurapika folded his hands in his lap. "Hypothetically speaking, what if a human was trying to... to show his interest in such a way?"

"That's..." For the first time Dr. Yorkshire’s neutral mask slipped and revealed a display of plain discomfort. "Highly inappropriate."

"Oh." Suddenly, Kurapika was not sure anymore if he wanted to know. He thought of dogs and their habit of sniffing each other’s asses as a way of greeting and he could imagine why canine and sapient behaviour might not agree so well.

"Although it’s entirely possible that the wolf in question might feel different about it. In any way, they should be the person to inquire about the specifics. Much like human courtship, it's a very individual process."

"Right."

He thought that he would rather endure any kind of torture than to bring this up in front of Leorio. 

 

When Kurapika came home, there was a note waiting for him on the kitchen table, tucked under a vase of freshly plucked lupines.

_ there's casserole & strawberries in the fridge _

No signature. None needed, because Kurapika would recognize Leorio's barely legible scrawl anytime. He had a doctor's handwriting and no paw-like hands to blame it on and the familiar sight caused a tug in Kurapika's chest.

He found Leorio spread out across the whole length of the bed, half dozing, heavy lidded eyes more or less focused on a laptop screen. Kurapika could hear Hugh Laurie being an asshole to fictional patients and was secretly glad for the upgrade to House MD. Although it was no more realistic than  _ Private Practice _ or  _ Grey's _ , the show's more cynic approach would at least not give Leorio any more weird ideas on human romance.

Leorio acknowledged Kurapika's presence with a mere shift of his ear and a tired "hey".

"Hi," Kurapika said as he took off his tweed jacket and loosened his tie.

"Why are you dressed like a university professor?"

"Tried to make a good first impression."

"Did it work?"

"I don't think so." He had still felt kind of shabby, which had more to do with the whole visit carrying a vibe of meeting future in-laws, in the in-law in question was a pious church-servant. "I don't think she likes me much."

"She'll warm up to you, trust me."

Kurapika scoffed and sat down cross-legged next to Leorio. "Which episode is that?"

"The one where he starts his casting show thing."

"Ugh."

"I like Olivia Wilde in this. She looks like she smells nice." He tilted his head, nudging it against Kurapika's thigh. "No work today?"

"No." Kurapika reached down to scratch Leorio behind the ear. Leorio leaned into the gesture and let out a blissful sigh.

"Did you get your answers?"

"I got paperwork. And more questions."

"Ah." Leorio propped his chin up on Kurapika's leg and closed his eyes. Kurapika could see his tail tremble, even as it was tucked away in a pair of sweatpants and made sure to scratch a little harder until Leorio made a satisfied little growling noise and his mouth twisted into a dopey grin.

"Hey," Kurapika called.

"Hm?"

"Would you say dating is easier for your kind than for humans?", he tried, carefully. Skirting around the question he didn't want to ask, but needed answered anyway.

"I mean we don't really date- Kurapika can you scratch a little higher? No, a little bit more to the right.  _ Yes _ . God. Don't stop doing that." He let out the most inappropriate groan. "Anyway. I guess you flirt a bit? Make a few compliments, howl at them to let them know you're interested. But if someone makes a move on you, they  _ make a move _ , you know? There's no doubt, no second guessing. And then you have sex."

"That's all?"

Leorio chuckled. "You sound disappointed."

"I'm not," Kurapika grouched. "But I had expected something more intricate, judging by the way Dr. Yorkshire talked about it. Or refused to talk about it."

"You asked  _ Cheadle _ ." Leorio rolled on his back and snorted. "About our courtship rituals? Oh, Kurapika. Kurapika,  _ no _ ."

"What?", Kurapika huffed and drew up his shoulders defensively. 

"Don't get me wrong, she's a great woman with many talents, but when it comes to interpersonal stuff, she's, uh. Not qualified."

"You mean she has a huge stick up her ass?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Kurapika still scraped his fingertips in circles along Leorio's scalp but he couldn't bear the mellow smile that was beaming up at him, so he pretended to stare at the blurry screen instead.

"Do you want to know the details? But it's... it's probably weird from your perspective."

"Test me," Kurapika replied, trying (and failing) to sound callous.

"It's about power dynamics, in a way. Like, let's say there's this young hot wolf who keeps howling at you. And you know he's probably just showing off, all bark and no bite, right?"

"Are the puns really necessary?"

"Yes. So, here's the important thing: you don't want that little loudmouth to make the important move. In fact, it would be arrogant of him to do so, because he's already begging for your attention. But let's say you wanna give him a shot. See if he's actually serious. What you do is you hand him one of your items. Something freshly worn, but nothing too intimate. Ideally, you take off your shirt right before him and throw it at his face and tell him when or where to meet you. Basically, you invite him into your bed that way, but you also challenge him to prove his submission."

"Why do I get the weird feeling that you're the flustered loudmouth in that situation?"

Leorio scrunched up his nose. Because fuck him for being adorable. "You know, some people actually like being challenged. So, if you don't agree on a specific time, your suitor has time until the scent wears off to show that he's been serious. He comes to your place and you tell him where to get comfortable. He gets on his back, and... well, usually that's the time when he'll ask you for another token of your affection. Because the second he takes a step through your door, is when the seduction part begins."

"I'm listening."

"So, uh. Remember how I told you that a person's scent changes when they're aroused?"

Kurapika grimaced. "Please don't tell me you're going to give this poor hypothetical whelp a shirt drenched in your horny smell."

"That's kind of the point, yes. Look, I know this sounds gross, but. Imagine the best perfume you ever smelled. Something that smells so dizzying that you can barely think straight. That's what it's like. I mean, everyone's scent is different. But if you just can't stand the smell of someone, you usually know the moment they give you some of their clothes. Before you go take them up on their offer. A little self-reflection can save you a lot of awkwardness in the long run."

"Right." Kurapika cleared his throat. He thought back on all the times Leorio had told him how nice he smelled. He supposed that that, too, had been a kind of flirting he had missed.  _ Something that smells so dizzying that you can barely think straight. _ Was that the effect he had on Leorio? 

"So, tell me about the seduction part," Kurapika demanded, before he could think too hard about implications.

"Uh."

"You get an invitation. You show up at their... house?"

"Cot. Well, some of us only had a tent."

"Right. Then what?"

"I strip down," Leorio continued and the change of perspective sends a shiver down Kurapika's spine. His hand stilled and he dropped it in his lap. "Make myself vulnerable. Submissive. I get high on their scent and start touching myself. Not to get off - as another form of invitation. I want them to show me they want me. How they want me. I want to know if the sight of me trembling for them takes their breath away."

Heat crept up his cheeks. His heart beat so fervously, it threatened to leap up his throat and out on his tongue.

"Kurapika?"

He made a choked noise.

Leorio reached up to stroke a pink cheek with his calloused fingertips. Softly, he said: "Breathe."

"I am," Kurapika croaked. Gasped. Hungry for air, but his lungs won't fold wide enough.

"You know, if you were a wolf, I would have howled at you all day long."

Something in Kurapika gave way. 

"We need to change some rules." Desperately. Heart still blocking up his airways.

Leorio sat up. Closed the laptop. Eyes never leaving Kurapika's face, who in turn could not imagine looking anywhere else. Stupid handsome Leorio.

"Okay. Which ones were you thinking of?"

Kurapika grabbed him by the collar and pressed his mouth on Leorio's. Wrapping his arms around his werewolf like a man drowning.

And suddenly he could breathe again. As if the feeling of Leorio's lips parting against his also opened something deep within Kurapika, as if the secure weight of Leorio's hand did away with all the tension in his bones. The tip of his tongue skirted around sharp teeth, flirting with the pain.

"Shit," Leorio cursed softly. And cursed again when Kurapika slipped onto his lap and began fussing with his hoodie, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like  _ of all the times for you to be dressed _ !

"Hey, slow down, will you," he laughed. "We got time."

"I-" Kurapika raised his voice to a complaint, but Leorio nudged his nose against his nose. 

"Hey, what about the  _ no licking Kurapika _ rule? Does that one still stand?"

"Yes," Kurapika hissed. "But I am open for negotiations"

"Oh? Does that mean you are looking for a demonstration?"

Kurapika licked his lip. Braced his palm against the side of Leorio's neck. "No. No, I still think it’s… I mean, how would  _ you _ feel if I just-" And he leaned forward and dragged his tongue across Leorio's cheek.

Leorio flinched and leaned back, rubbing his cheek.

"Wow. That. You're doing this entirely wrong and you know it."

"Oh, do I?"

"Yes. Allow me..." Slowly, paying almost tender attention, Leorio undid the top buttons of Kurapika's shirt and pushed the collar aside, stroking his thumb along the line of Kurapika's collarbone. Kurapika closed his eyes. He tilted his head to the side to accommodate Leorio's soft lips against his skin, even as he chastised: "That's kissing, Leorio, you're just proving my point-"

A hint of teeth that pricked the curve of his neck. He gasped, fingers curling into Leorio's shoulder. Pulse speeding up. And the warm tongue that lapped across the sensitive spot, felt almost like an apology. Leorio blowed gently against the wet skin and Kurapika trembled, goosebumps spreading across his neck.

"I love that your neck is so ridiculously sensitive."

Kurapika could hear the smirk in his voice. "You're a dick."

"I know," he said and dropped a hand to Kurapika's hip, steadying as he thrust his pelvis up. "You seem to like that. But I want you to say it."

"Say what?"

"Say that you want me," Leorio whispered against Kurapika's neck. Then, quieter: "Please."

"God, Leorio, I-" He buried his hand in Leorio's dark curls, placed a kiss on his twitching ear. "I want you." He felt stupid saying this in such earnesty, but he'd swallow his pride if it made Leorio happy. "I want you by my side and I want you in my bed and I-" He took a heavy breath. "I want you to kiss me until I'm feeling stupid. All the time. I want you to wrap your stupid huge body around me in the middle of the night because I sleep better when you're with me, I-" Kurapika froze. "...Leorio?"

No response.

"Are you crying?"

"No," Leorio sniffled.

“Liar.”

“I just. I’m so happy. All this time I wasn’t really sure if you-” But he choked on his words and didn’t finish the sentence. Leorio held Kurapika impossibly tight and Kurapika returned the embrace. He stroked Leorio’s hair and kissed him on the top of his head. "So…”, Kurapika asked carefully. “I guess we're more in the mood for some cuddling tonight?"

Leorio stirred and rested his chin on Kurapika’s shoulder. "Would that be alright with you? I know you probably had something else in mind-"

"Shhh. Cuddling is nice. Come on, let's find a more comfortable position," Kurapika said and tried to disentangle their limbs. Leorio pulled back, but didn’t meet Kurapika’s eyes. He dragged the back of his hand across his eyes that still shimmered with tears. "Sorry for making this weird. I guess I got a little overwhelmed."

"That's alright." Kurapika let his body fall back onto the mattress and tugged at Leorio's shirtsleeves. "Come here, you big sap."

And Leorio did. He laid his heavy head on Kurapika's chest, one ear pressed against his heartbeat, one arm slung across Kurapika's stomach.

"Tell me something," Kurapika whispered. He pressed another fleeting kiss on Leorio's crown. "What you just told me, about your people's... seduction habits. Is that the reason why you keep hogging my old shirts?"

"I... don't?" Leorio tried.

"You're hiding them right under your pillow, Leorio. I could literally reach over and grab a handful of them because that's how sneaky you are about it. I'm not mad. I was just confused because they don't fit you. But if you're stealing them for other reasons..."

"I don't get off to them," he said defensively. Almost a little offended. Which wasn't even what Kurapika had been implying although now, that Leorio mentioned it... it was a weird thought. But weirdly appealing, too.

"It's just comforting. I mean, sometimes... sometimes I think about what it would have been like if you'd been born a wolf. You'd be terrifying. The whole pack would be eager to get your attention."

"That's too bad, because I'm only into guys who do horrible renditions of Call Me Maybe and who are scared of stray cats."

"One stray cat. One, Kurapika. And he's  _ evil _ ."

"M-hm." Laughter shook Kurapika's chest. Leorio had to be easily one of the most ridiculous persons he ever met. Acting like he's tough shit when he's 180 pounds of pure excitement and love and wet kisses. An apex predator that could technically tear Kurapika apart with his large hands, except instead he treated Kurapika like something fragile, something brittle. Light surface touches only. 

"But you'd give me your shirt, right?", Leorio asked.

"Absolutely. Just to see your stupid face when I do. And then you'll start beaming and I'd instantly regret it."

"And I'd follow you home right away. I couldn't wait a whole day."

"You'd only overthink it if you waited. Because you either have no sense of self-restraint or too much," Kurapika teased, helpless to the wave of fondness that overcame him. This was nice. Lying here, imagining how it could have been. How it could  _ still _ be.

So maybe he wasn't a wolf. But Leorio wasn't human, and he still brought wild flowers home and picked cheesy movies for them to watch and he insisted on sunday breakfasts in bed (and complained about crumbs on his sheets later).

They could still dance the dance, couldn't they?


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Kurapika found himself on his side of the bed, neatly tucked in. His legs unrestricted by his denim pants that someone had taken off his body and left by his bedside, neatly folded.

Soft snoring on the other side of the bed. Soft snoring _boyfriend_ on the other side of the bed. Wolffriend? Partner? Was there a word for what they were that didn't sound fundamentally awkward? Leorio would probably refer to Kurapika as his mate and when he said it, it had a different weight. Kurapika couldn't say the word without thinking of Australian guys giving each other totally platonic bro-hugs. Ugh.

He was interrupted in his solemn contemplation when his alarm went off and, by extension, Leorio. Fight or flight response kicking in, Leorio's whole body flinched and he rolled on his stomach, fingers and toes digging into the mattress, ready to pounce.

"I'm awake," Kurapika groaned, grabbing blindly for his alarm clock before Leorio could attempt to. He turned off the beeping nuisance and pulled the covers over his head.

"Kurapika, you have work."

"Fuck work." He didn't even recall setting his alarm, so fuck Leorio too, for being considerate.

"But you love your job!"

"Not when it makes me get up at six, I don't."

"Well, then you leave me no choice." He could hear the grin in Leorio's voice, could feel the mattress shifting. And then he was hoisted up in the air, duvet cover and everything.

"Leorio!"

"Stop kicking!" Still laughing. That asshole. "I'll just escort you to the bathroom, so you can shower and while you do that, I'll make you breakfast, how does that sound?"

"Leorio, I can't fucking see," Kurapika hissed.

Leorio cleared his throat. "Right. Hold up."

He put Kurapika down, gently as he could and pulled the covers off his head, smoothing  over his ruffled up hair. "Sorry. Hope I didn't freak you out."

Kurapika would have loved to throw back some biting remark, but it was hard to stay mad at Leorio when he stared back with sorrow in his big brown eyes, teeth tugging nervously at his lower lip. "Just warn me next time you intend to whisk me away."

"Well, I intend to whisk you away into the bathroom now," Leorio said solemnly.

"You mean this bathroom?", Kurapika asked and pointed over his shoulder. If he leaned back just a little, his back would touch the door. "I think I can manage."

"As you wish. But allow me to-" He rose to his feet and opened the bathroom door, then performed a little bow. "After you, sir."

Kurapika was about to ask if they had been catapulted back into the regency era now, but the jab died in his throat when his eyes trailed up Leorio's body. It hadn't been that obvious when he was squatting or maybe Kurapika had been too busy staring at Leorio's infuriatingly handsome face, but standing upright it was impossible to miss the proud erection straining Leorio's low hanging boxer briefs. And although it was probably just morning wood, Kurapika marveled at the unfairness of it all. They had horrible timing, they really did.

Then again, fifty minutes before he needed to leave. They could make it work. He propped himself up on one knee to get up as graceful as possible and tried his best to keep his voice level when he said: "You know, we could save a lot of water if we just showered together." To his credit, he didn't stare either.

Leorio smirked his flustered little smirk that sent Kurapika's heart fluttering, and then placed a chaste little kiss on Kurapika's cheek. "Sounds nice, but horribly unsafe. One of us could slip. Can't risk that. Also, who's gonna make breakfast then, hm?"

He winked and then he was gone. And Kurapika asked himself what the fuck had just happened.

 

Breakfast was fresh croissants and fruits, cream cheese and sweet jam and honey. Lemon custard and yoghurt and boiled eggs.

"When did you-"

"The jam's homemade," Leorio babbled, almost vibrating in his skin. He'd put on pants and a sweater to make a dash for the nearest bakery before Kurapika stepped out of the shower. "From Melody. She let me help her and no, I didn't touch the sugar."

"That's... very sweet of her. And you, too." Kurapika scratched his forearm, feeling a little lost. "To what do I owe that?"

"No particular reason," Leorio shrugged, but his cheeks were so pink Kurapika could tell how warm they would feel to the touch. And Leorio literally could not stop smiling. "I just wanted to spoil you. Is... is that alright?"

"Yes." Kurapika circled the table and Leorio pulled back a chair for him. "Yes, of course it is."

"You don't think it's intrusive? Or inappropriate?"

"Why would I think that?"

He didn't answer, but dashed to the coffee machine to fetch the can and pour Kurapika a cup of coffee.

Kurapika gave the table a second look. "You forgot to put down a plate for yourself," he said quietly. _Again_ , he wanted to add.

Sometimes - rarely - Kurapika could forget the awful conditions Leorio had escaped. He tried to remember to ask and question Leorio if he was really comfortable with the things he offered or if he was just acting because he felt like he ought to. But no matter how prepared he thought he was, how many books on emotional abuse he read, how often he repeated the words _you're not a pet_ , he wasn't prepared for moments like this, when the reality of it hit him.

Like yeah, it was kind of cute to have a werewolf in your house, who would rest his head on your lap and beg for scraps. Until you found out that his ex wouldn't let him eat at the table like a person. That he knew that it was messed up to eat from a bowl at the floor, but that he would wait for you to leave the house before he had breakfast because he thought you'd be bothered by the sight of him using cutlery.

Kurapika hadn't been bothered by the concept of pet play before he met Leorio, but now it turned his stomach. He even felt weird going to the pet store to buy dog friendly chocolate even though he knew it was the only kind of chocolate Leorio could eat.

One day, Kurapika was going to find that creepy fetishist and he was going to fuck her up.

"I forgot something," Kurapika said and stood up. "Be right back."

He locked himself in the bathroom until he felt less like he wanted to punch a hole in the wall. Couldn't let Leorio smell his anger because then he'd just blame himself.

_Breathe_ , he told himself. _He's safe now. He's safe and you're not going to let him get hurt again._

He was going to call Dr. Yorkshire's lawyer friend once he came home. Make an appointment for the two of them, to figure out how long it would take to get citizenship for Leorio. But first... first there was something else he needed to do. _Wanted to_ , for himself and for Leorio.

 

When he returned to the kitchen, a second plate had appeared on the table and Leorio was just popping two slices of multi grain toast in the toaster for himself. Tail wagging happily.

"Hey, so, do you have any plans for tonight?", Kurapika asked, twisting the item he had fetched from the bedroom in his hands. Waiting for Leorio to turn around.

"Not really. I thought about Netflix and maybe kissing you some more, see if you really get stupid from that. Why?"

He finally turned his head and maybe Kurapika was a bit too eager. Maybe slam-dunking your clothes into your werewolf boyfriend's face wasn't that great of an idea, judging by the surprised _hmpf_ that Leorio made.

"Well, now you have plans." Kurapika was well aware of how much of an asshole he sounded, and first doubts sprouted when Leorio plucked the shirt of his face and stared at it, utterly confused. The shirt that Kurapika had worn all day yesterday and throughout the night too, because Leorio had been too much of a gentleman (gentlewolf?) to take it off. Surely, it had to be drenched in Kurapika's smell, mingled with Leorio's own from last night's cuddling session.

And then a smile lit up Leorio's whole face and burned Kurapika's doubts to the ground. "Does that mean you want to...?"

"Yes, Leorio. Woo me."

 

* * *

 

 Kurapika really did love his job, but it was hard to stay focused when you counted the minutes until shift end, so you and your boyfriend (he really kept coming back to this word, didn't he?) could indulge in some intimate moments together. Luckily, he didn't have to work with the big cats today, so he could afford being a little bit distracted during feeding time. And if his coworkers noted that he was even more quiet than usual today, they did not remark on it.

The apartment was spotless upon his return.

So was Leorio, sitting cross legged in the couch, reading glasses perched on his nose, leafing through some documents. Wearing a three piece suit that had been tailored to his proportions with slacks that took his tail into consideration. He offered Kurapika a wan smile.

"So fancy today," Kurapika remarked, and felt twice as uncomfortable about the fact that one of the petting zoo goats had peed at him. He washed it off, of course, but Leorio would still know.

"I went to see a lawyer today."

"Mr. Nana?"

"Yes. How-?"

"Dr. Yorkshire gave me his contacts, just like she gave them to you. Why didn't you tell me you had already talked to her about the registration process?"

Leorio shrugged. "I didn't want you to be disappointed. It's... quite a feat."

"Why? What did he say?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Leorio said with a shake of his head. He put down the documents and slipped out off his suit jacket, which he hung across the armrest. Right next to a familiar looking shirt. "Don't worry about it, alright? We can look through this together some other time. Take your shower. Unwind a little. I'll be here when you're ready."

"Right," Kurapika said. But his heart was already beating heavily. He hated not knowing things.

_It's not gonna get worse than it is right now_ , he told himself. And he'd known from the start that the way to improve their situation was rocky.

Usually, he enjoyed his after work showers. Enjoyed the hot water hitting his sore muscles and scrubbing his skin until he felt clean and sensitive. This time, it felt more like a chore. He went through the motions with haste and carelessless, scrubbed himself forcefully until he was pink.

He pinned up his hair in a tiny ponytail. Wondered idly if he should bother putting on clothes again if he was just going to take them off later. But the bedroom was cold-

_The bedroom was cold._

Kurapika slipped into a bathrobe and rushed out, frantically checking for the heating. But Leorio had turned it on already, not too long ago. The room was slowly warming up.

Kurapika closed the blinds and slipped into something comfortable. Some soft cotton, medium blue yoga pants and a light, gray sweater which was a size too big for him. No zippers or buttons that a pair of impatient hands might struggle with. He lit up some candles and flicked off the harsh ceiling lights. It was almost too dark, so he moved his bedsite lamp to Leorio's side of the bed and turned it on, to create more balance.

And then he remembered that he forgot his backpack - and the purchases within - and had to sneak back into the living room like a thief. He pretended not to notice Leorio's heavy gaze on him, warm and... content in a way he'd never seen on Leorio before.

And that was when he decided that he was done fussing and preparing. He picked up his backpack in one hand and strode to the couch, offering his other hand to Leorio. Who took it, but leaned forward to place a kiss on Kurapika's knuckles first. "Ready?", he asked.

"Yes." An answer and a plea.

He guided Leorio into the bedroom as if he were a guest. Let his belongings drop where he stood and spun around so that they were face-to-face. "Do I get to undress you, or...?"

A soft laugh. "If you want to."

He did. He felt he'd waited an eternity for this moment, so he made sure not to be greedy now, not to spoil it for himself. He let his hands roam over the dark grey button up vest. "You clean up nicely, Mister Leorio."

"I dress for the occasion."

It was hard not to snicker at that because despite the fancy suit and all the sultry flirting, he knew Leorio. Knew him to be a dork and a sweetheart and a braggart sometimes. And so this was Leorio too, trying too hard to impress him. But he'd be damned if it wasn't working.

"I'm afraid I am quite underdressed then," Kurapika teased and took an impish joy in just dropping the vest on the floor, as soon as he had bested it.

"You're beautiful," Leorio whispered and raised his hands to frame Kurapika's face. He brought their foreheads together, nudging Kurapika's nose playfully with his own. "I really want to kiss you."

"Then kiss me," Kurapika prompted. He nudged back, lips almost grazing the corner of Leorio's mouth.

"Not just yet. I want to earn it first." He tucked a flyaway strand behind Kurapika's ear before letting his hands fall again. Disappointing.

Kurapika tugged at the tie, as if to challenge Leorio's self-restraint. He didn't budge. "Fine." He wasn't that gentle anymore when he loosened and unfurled the tie, nor when he pulled the shirttails out of the waistband. His practiced fingers did quick work of the buttons, moving lower and lower, until they came to a sudden halt. Kurapika hooked a finger underneath the waistband, and pulled it impatiently. "Leorio, how-"

"The slacks open at the back."

"Oh." Well, that made sense, didn't it? Kurapika took a step closer and put his hands around Leorio, squinting up at his boyfriend with preemptive disapproval. "Don't you laugh at me now."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Leorio cooed. "You're doing good."

And when Kurapika pressed his palm against Leorio's tailbone, he noticed _how_ good he was doing. Because for all his calm demeanor, Leorio's tail was wagging at an absurd speed.

"Leorio, stop wagging"

"I can't. I really can't, I'm just-"

Kurapika grabbed him by the base of his tail and Leorio froze.

"Does that hurt?"

"No." Breathless. Trembling now, with a different kind of tension.

"I'll be done soon," Kurapika promised and pressed a kiss on Leorio's sternum. With his free hand he found the clasp above Leorio's tail and undid it. Another pull and the slacks slipped down past the hips. Kurapika let go of the tail and took a step back. "So," he asked, keeping his voice level even if it took some effort. "How do we go from here? Do you want me to pull up a chair or...?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with?", offered as he Leorio stepped out of his pants. "I mean it depends on where you want to have me. Do you want to be close enough to touch me? Or do you- oh. I left your shirt on the couch, I should-"

"Leave it," Kurapika urged and put a hand on Leorio's shoulder. "I have other shirts. It's not that important, is it?"

"I- can I have your pillow? Or would that be weird?"

"Not at all. I wanted to do this on my side of the bed anyway. Is that alright?"

"Perfect." Leorio grinned, and almost tore his own shirt in his haze to get it off. "I'll, uh, get comfortable then?" He didn't wait for a response, but dashed to the bed and flopped belly-down onto the mattress, all but burying his face in Kurapika's pillow.

"Very sexy," Kurapika remarked, letting his sarcasm dance just a little bit.

"Shorry." Leorio propped his chin up. "But you have no idea what it's like for me, when you smell so good. I want to bury myself in a pile of your stuff, like a dragon."

"Good thing you are not a dragon then, or we'd never get to do laundry," Kurapika chuckled. He picked up his backpack and fetched the new bottle of lube he bought after work, plus an array of condoms. Which earned him a whistle from the bed.

"Are you preparing for a party or-"

"I didn't know what size to get for you, so I bought a few"

Leorio made a pensive noise, then slowly rolled on his back. "I usually go with the biggest size they have."

Kurapika nodded. He had assumed as much, but... would it be rude to let on that he had been peeking? Wondering? After all, it had been Leorio who insisted to spend a lot of his free time naked. Because he _wanted_ Kurapika to look. The thought still made Kurapika tingle.

"I still have a few on my own stashed away, so we can use these if the other ones don't fit," Leorio said too casually.

Kurapika left the items on the nightstand, then lingered and took in the sight of Leorio on his back, stretched out comfortably. He kept his arms close to his sides, his hands on his stomach.

"Tell me," Kurapika beckons. "How hard is it for you to be close to me? Is it... distracting?"

"More than that. I- well, if I'm honest, I need to reign myself in a lot." He smiled sheepishly and scratched his chin. "I remember when I had just moved in and you weren't as cautious about touching yourself- I remember you sneaking into the bathroom, hearing you gasp and when I tried to shower later, the scent of your excitement was still heavy in the bathroom air. I took a step in and I was hard." He swallowed. "Sometimes, the smallest thing could set me off. Like when you'd let me rest my head on your lap, I didn't quite dare to breathe, because if I did..."

"What, Leorio? What did you want to do to me?" Kurapika didn't quite dare to breathe either. "Tell me." He pleaded and Leorio bit his lip. Let his right hand dip deeper, stroking the length of his dick through his underwear and Kurapika was curious, then, how it would feel to join. He wanted to feel Leorio against his skin - soft at first, then growing bigger and harder.

"I want to bury my nose between your thighs. But it's just too much - too much of you, filling my senses, overwhelming me. I'd want to taste you. I can be careful with my teeth - you know I can. I want to suck to off and then I want you to hold me there, with your cock pressed against the roof of my mouth and my nose buried in your curls, drowning in your scent."

Kurapika's fingers twitch. "Go on."

"And this morning, when you asked me to join you under the shower? I thought of you, pressed against me, naked and slick and I know what you were offering, but I didn't think I could have let you go then. And it's worse on transformation days. I wake up and I'm already hard and you're so _close_ and so beautiful and just. It would be so easy to wake you up, and press my cock against your cute, soft butt. And I'd think all day about how beautiful you'd look, rocking against me, or riding me." He gasped. Squeezed himself through the fabric and Kurapika could feel it echo through his own body, pulse through his dick, that overwhelming need to be touched.

"Sometimes, when we're spooning and you move against me by accident, I have to remind myself it's not an invitation. One word from you and I'd- I would take you, tear the clothes off your skin and bury myself inside you. I would beg to have you spread out underneath me."

"Show me," Kurapika rasped. "Show me how hard you are for me."

With a roll of his hip Leorio pushed his briefs down and Kurapika breathed in audibly at the sight of his large, swollen dick, nestled against the angle of his leg. Leorio wrapped his fingers around it and started pumping in a moderate rhythm, his dark eyes never leaving Kurapika's face, his mouth parting slightly.

"Slower," Kurapika chastised. "Be patient for me." He slipped a hand inside his pants, rubbing his palm against his own bulge, trying to match Leorio's rhythm. He wasn't trying to get off - he'd always prefer Leorio's hands on him instead of his own - so the slow pace did nothing but to frustrate him.

"That's enough. Close your eyes, Leorio."

"Kurapika-" He whimpered.

"I know. But I want to enjoy this as long as possible." Kurapika pulled back his hand and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "I promise I'll make it up to you." Gently, he brought his fingers up to Leorio's cheek. The effect was immediate: Leorio's ears twitched and he whimpered, craning his head towards the source of the smell. Nuzzling against Kurapika's hand, Leorio placed a single kiss on the palm.

"Kurapika, please-"

Hearing Leorio beg only made the blood rush to Kurapika's ears. To know that he had that effect on someone... to know that his boyfriend was aching for him. He felt... heady. Like his skin was starting to prickle all over.

"I want to take you slow," Kurapika whispers and he barely recognizes his own voice, mulled through the cottony feeling in his head. "I want to finally take you into my mouth, and I want to take my time with it. I- I've been wanting this so much, Leorio. And..." He swallows, hard. Traces Leorio's lips with his fingers until they part. Sharp teeth nip his fingertips playfully.

(A sudden memory. Leorio kneeling before the couch - before Kurapika - his hand caressing Kurapika's thigh almost tenderly. _I know there's not much I can offer in return, but there's something I could do for you._ His voice a low growl. Leorio licked his lips. _I'll be gentle with my teeth, i promise._ )

Kurapika's cock twitched at the thought of Leorio's teeth sinking into his skin, just enough to leave a mark. Claiming him.

"I want to be yours."

"Then take me," Leorio whispered hoarsely. "Fuck me, Kurapika."

Kurapika's mouth went dry and it was all he could do to nod. His hands reached for the condoms, hovering, unsure how to start. This was not his area of expertise. He knew how to rut his hips and spread his thighs, knew how to receive - but if Leorio wanted him, he would teach himself.

His hands still trembled as he took one of the maxi sized condoms, from need and fluttering nerves alike. "Alright love, but you gotta let me pick my pace. You can touch me, but don't get pushy. You can be patient, right?"

Leorio nodded, overeager.

"Good." Kurapika tore open the wrapper. "Now come here. Sit. I want you next to me - yes, like that," Kurapika confirmed when Leorio slipped onto the edge of the mattress, so close that their thighs were touching.

"This should be more comfortable for both of us." He leans over and kisses Leorio's shoulder. "Now relax." Slowly, he took Leorio's cock in his hand, squeezing softly, curiously, to get a feeling for its weight and length. "You're so big," Kurapika purred.

"Is that a problem?" Leorio buried his face in Kurapika's hair and breathed in deeply. Pressed his lips on Kurapika's forehead and mumbled: "I don' wanna hurt you."

"I like a challenge," Kurapika whispered, much bolder than he felt. He knew he could take Leorio, was dying to know how it would feel when this huge cock pressed into him, but- not tonight.

Kurapika rolled the condom on Leorio. "Do you want to see me?"

"I always want to see you."

"I meant-"

"Naked, yes." Leorio laughed low and took Kurapika's chin in his hand, bowing down to steal a kiss. "I'm more than ready for that."

Kurapika stood. He stripped off his sweater, mindful of the heavy lidded gaze on him. Mindful also of the way his lover's hands dug into the mattress when he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of both his briefs and his yoga pants, tugging down both before he could get second thoughts.

Leorio breathed in deeply - and held still, so still, as if he feared to ruin the moment if he didn't. His gaze travelled higher, his dark eyes soft, still pleading. "God, you're beautiful."

"Oh, shush," Kurapika replied and grabbed the lube from the nightstand, unsure to do with the happy fuzzy feeling in his stomach. Curse Leorio for always being so genuine about his admiration, curse him for acting as if Kurapika was the sun. And when he knelt, Leorio parts his lips and parts his thighs. "Good boy," Kurapika whispered and kissed Leorio on the inside of his strong thigh. "Will you lean back for me?"

"I can't. My tail-"

"Right." He hadn't taken that into account, but it didn't matter, not really. If anything, he'd get to boss around Leorio a little longer. "Don't worry then." Kurapika hooked an arm underneath Leorio's delightfully fuzzy leg, stroking it fondly. He peppered more kisses along the thigh. "Do you like to see me like this?"

"Yes." Breathless. Needy. The way Kurapika liked it.

Kurapika reached for Leorio's cock, and he was not shy about it - this part he knew well. He made a show of wetting his lips and batted his lashes, and then he kissed the tip and engulfed it. The latex was smooth against his tongue which he curled against the head of Leorio's cock, appraising its shape and heat. And then he took up more of Leorio, took him in until he filled up all of Kurapika's mouth and Kurapika's lips brushed against his own fingers still wrapped around the base.

Leorio was big, alright, and heavy on Kurapika's tongue, but he could handle big. He didn't release his hold as he started to bob his head in a slow rhythm, three, four, five times and then he paused to give the head some delicate attention. Sucking gently, pressing his tongue against the tip, even teasing a hint of teeth. And when he moved again, he began to stroke Leorio at the same pace. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the motion, listening for the way Leorio's breath quickened and the little gasps and groans he made-

And then Kurapika stopped and Leorio _whimpered_. He bucked his hips once, impatiently, but Kurapika did not stir. Instead, he breathed carefully, letting himself relax around his lover's length until he could feel the press of the cock against his throat.

And then he groaned, and _hummed_ , letting the vibration trickle along Leorio's shaft.

"Fuck!" Leorio cursed and threw back his head. A trembling hand settled on Kurapika's head, fingers combing through his hair, but not pulling.

"God, Kurapika, I..." and Leorio made a low guttural noise, something between a groan and a grunt that makes Kurapika's cock twitch. "Fuck," he said again and Kurapika could not tell if it was plea or praise.

He took it as both and leaned back on his heels, releasing Leorio only so he could trail his tongue along the shaft and the head with cherishing attention - and all the while Leorio stroked Kurapika's hair like he was something precious, something to handle with care.

"You can be a little rougher with me, if you want to" Kurapika whispered when he let his lips hover bare millimeters from the tip of Leorio's cock again. "As long as you don't get selfish about it. Can't let you get off just yet." Kurapika smiled, all too pleased with himself and Leorio stared back at him, a little dumbfounded at first. But then his fingers curled around Kurapika's golden locks, pulling just a little and Leorio scooted his butt a little closer to the edge of the mattress. He took hold of himself and guided his dick to Kurapika's mouth, tracing the sweet curve of his lover's pink lips.

Then he lowered his hand to the back of Kurapika's neck and beckoned him slowly forward. Kurapika closed his eyes. He opened up to Leorio, took him in like he was a gift. Kurapika let Leorio's rolling hips set the pace, pulling back his mouth back only as far as the hand against his nape would allow - which was not very far at all. His cheeks hollowed as he sucked and stopped to breathe and slipped forward again to meet the next thrust, trapped in a hungry rhythm. The blood rushed loudly in his ears, and his skin prickled all over as his own lust pulsed heavy between his legs.

And just as he started to get dizzy, Leorio let out a startled gasp.

"W-wait," he choked out and his grip on Kurapika tightened as he pulled his head back.

Kurapika released Leorio's dick with a pop of his lips. He wiped his sore mouth and looked up to find his lover's eyes dark and hazy, but slightly alarmed. Leorio's legs and arms trembled from stimulation, from wanting without release. He was close now, very close.

Kurapika let his palm brush along the line of Leorio's thigh before he slowly - languidly - rose to his feet. He raised his hands, settling one softly on Leorio's shoulder and the other right above his fast-beating heart. Feeling the heat that rises off his flushed skin, feeling his chest rise and fall, rise and fall.

"Do you want to come?", Kurapika asked, his voice low.

"Yes," Leorio growled, hoarse still. And he grabbed Kurapika by the hip, pulling him in. "Take me. Fuck me until I'm sore."

"And will you return that favor to me tomorrow night?"

Leorio's lips parted, slowly. His nails dug possessively into the soft yet firm curve of Kurapika's buttocks. "Gladly."

"Good." Kurapika raked his fingers through Leorio's short curls, tugging them as he leaned in close. "Turn over, then. Knees on the floor; I want you face down."

Kurapika took a step back and watched as his boyfriend obliged immediately. Then, on second thought, Leorio snatched Kurapika's pillow to plant his face in it, looking altogether too pleased with himself. Kurapika moved to the nightstand and with trembling fingers, put a condom on himself. He picked the lube up from the floor, where he dropped it earlier and positioned himself behind his lover, reaching for Leorio's tail first.

"Tell me if I'm holding on too tight."

Leorio grunted and let out a muffled: "Could be tighter."

So Kurapika squeezed and Leorio's breath hitched, but the little strangled noise he made did not seem to stem from pain.

"You like that?"

"Yes."

"Good." Kurapika kept his hold on the tail gentle as he opened the lube bottle with only his right hand.

Leorio had a nice ass, firm and muscular, the kind that invited to slap it and it was looking even nicer now, spread out before Kurapika. With slick fingers he pried between the buttocks, teasing the sensitive taint before circling Leorio's entrance. He slipped a first finger in with ease and it was received with an impatient groan and a jerk of Leorio's hips.

Soon, Kurapika added a second finger, stretching Leorio slowly until he cried for more and then he slipped in a third. He was nervous, praying that he was doing this right, but he remembered being on the receiving end of this and he took Leorio's rolling hips as an encouragement to go on, took his pleas as a sign to push harder. And then he stilled his hand. Ignoring Leorio's whining, Kurapika pulled out.

"Shhhh," Kurapika said as beckoned Leorio to lift his hips a little more. "I got you." He pressed his cock against Leorio's asshole and eased himself in.

Leorio's hands clung to the to the sheets desperately as Kurapika pushed forward, drawing breath after shaky breath because Leorio was tight and needing and hot around Kurapika's dick. Kurapika needed a moment just to hold on, to adjust and for Leorio to adjust to him. Slowly, absently, he raked his nails over his boyfriend's tailbone and was rewarded with a noise that was part growl, part groan.

"More," Leorio whined and pushed back to lean into the touch, to take all of Kurapika inside him.

"Sorry, but this is all I have to give," Kurapika said with a chuckle, and took his boyfriend firmly by the hip for a first slow thrust. Leorio moaned and buried his face in the pillow. His knuckles grew white with tension. Kurapika rolled his hips, careful at first, so as not to get overwhelmed by the sensation, and to become familiar enough with the motion to gain some sense of fluidity with it.

"Faster?", Kurapika asked.

"Harder," Leorio begged, breathless. "Don't hold back."

Kurapika hummed, and licked his lips. He dug his fingertips deep into the skin of Leorio's hip and began to throw his weight behind each thrust. And he held onto Leorio's tail, giving it a squeeze whenever he pushed forward.

Leorio threw his head back and started growling helplessly, a low, melodious tumbling sound, interrupted only by cries of profanity when Kurapika hit _just_ the right spot, until Kurapika was throwing himself so desperately into the rhythm that Leorio cried with each thrust - cried and grasped and spilled Kurapika's name like he was begging. It hit Kurapika like sweet rain on his flushed skin, made his chest swell with fondness while the friction of their bodies pooled low in his abdomen, building up to a hot-cold tension -

And then Leorio stilled and his arms and shoulders grew taut and he bit hard into the pillow. He came quietly; a tremble and then his muscles grew slack, the tension underneath Kurapika's hand dissipating. Kurapika let go of his lover's tail and forced himself to slow down, still chasing that high, but being mindful, too, of letting Leorio ride out his orgasm.

He sighed, mollified. Stretched his arms out full on the mattress before folding them under his head and he peered over his shoulder, a cheeky glint in his eyes.

"Come on, darling," Leorio purrs. "Cum for me."

He closed his eyes and lay very still as Kurapika continued to fuck his ass, his thrusts becoming erratic, desperate. But for all the heat and thrill pulsing through him, for all his tense need, he just couldn't find his climax. Kurapika pulled out, still hard. Hard and frustrated, feeling... feeling just like he was missing something, but how? He had a lover that was sculpted like a young greek god, who was sweet and gentle and adored him in ways that he could not comprehend and had Kurapika not spent the last few months _aching_ for Leorio?

Then why-

Leorio rolled onto his side, groaning with satisfaction. "Hey," he said softly and regarded Kurapika once over. His smile faltered for a brief moment. "What's wrong, love? I can go for a little longer, if that's what you're wondering."

"It's fine,"Kurapika says, almost stubbornly as he decided that it _was_ going to be fine. So he didn't come, big deal. It happened. He just wished it hadn't happened with Leorio.

"C'mere." Leorio raised his arm languidly and Kurapika all but dove into the offered embrace, fleeing into the warmth of his lover's chest. At least he could claim this for himself: lying next to each other, chest to chest, hip to hip, their skin tacky with sweat and Leorio's nose tickling his cheek. And Leorio kissed him - little wet dog kisses mingling with fleeting pecks - and held Kurapika close, so close.

"Thank you," Leorio whispered. "You've been so good to me. I can't believe how lucky I am to have you."

Kurapika wanted to protest, wanted to turn away from the outpouring praise which he did not deserve, but when he buried his face in the sheets, his boyfriend only expanded his loving attention to Kurapika's neck and shoulder. Leorio puts one of his coarse, heavy hands on Kurapika's side and starts to map his lover's silhouette with it. He guided his palm over Kurapika's hip with humming admiration, and lower still took hold of his thigh. A gentle squeeze.

"But I'm sorry, too."

Kurapika looked up, surprised. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he insisted, puzzled.

"Yes I do. I didn't consider that I might be asking a lot of you. You're so tense, love, I wish I had bothered to stop and tell you how amazing you were doing. And I wish I had taken the time to hold you like I wanted to. My mate. My beautiful and brave human."

Slowly, Leorio propped up his torso and placed a kiss on Kurapika's shoulder. He shifted, rolling his body on top Kurapika's, who let himself be guided onto his back willingly, who parted his legs to make room for Leorio's thigh. Kurapika let himself be handled and praised, for his throat was too tight to offer a reply and his limbs too heavy to push Leorio off. Not that he wanted to.

Leorio's weight upon him was comfortable, shielding, _safe_. He breathed a little easier; little by little Kurapika felt himself unwind. He closed his eyes for a moment and chased the frown off his face, knowing that he was right where he belonged. And when he opened his eyes again, Leorio's face was still hovering above his, smiling tenderly. He leaned down to trap Kurapika in a kiss, sweet and languid and a little sloppy too, in that post-coital lazy kind of way.

"I have another round in me, if you give me a little bit of time to recover," whispered Leorio as he wedged his leg further between Kurapika's, "What do you say? Wanna lean back and let me spoil you this time?"

He pretended to consider the offer as he reached up and cupped Leorio's cheek. "It's alright. I want to stay like this, if you don't mind."

His hands still hurt from holding on so tight and he wondered idly if Leorio would show a set of bruises on his hip tomorrow morning or if his fast metabolism would hide any marks that Kurapika left on him. The idea was kind of upsetting. He wanted to leave _something_ , some tangible proof of their love-making, something for Leorio to remember him by, in the hours that they were apart.

(He really was going to put a ring on his werewolf sooner or later, wasn't he? Not tomorrow, maybe not even in a month or two, but he liked the idea of it too much to rationalize it away.)

"Alright," Leorio said, "but let me-" He pushed himself off Kurapika, just so much that he could slip a hand between them and in one secure stroke, he rolled the condom off Kurapika. "Let me be _nice_ to you first."

His hand was warm and a little rough as it seized Kurapika's too sensitive dick and gave him a playful stroke. "God, you look so cute, I could eat you right up."

"Don't," Kurapika warned - but laughter bubbled in his chest and he closed his eyes because Leorio-

Leorio teased his shaft with the lightest of touches, tracing Kurapika's engorged shape with only his fingertips. And when he put his mouth on Kurapika's neck, marking a trail down to his chest, Leorio left the skin delicately sore. His sharp teeth pressed against Kurapika's nipple and Kurapika's breath caught in his lungs - a reminder of the pain that Leorio could inflict, if he was any less careful. (Or a promise that he could be rougher, if desired.)

"I want you to cum on me," Leorio whispered and nipped Kurapika right next to the bud of his nipple, making his mate cry out with surprise. "I want to carry that scent with me. I want every wolf in this town to smell how you fucked me and let them know that your hands are the only hands I want on me."

"Leorio-", Kurapika gasped and his hips bucked up, wanting for a firmer kind of touch.

"I love it when you say my name like that."

"Then give me a reason to say it more often."

And Leorio was too happy to oblige. He leaned back to seize Kurapika by the hips, pulling him close and angling him a little bit, and Kurapika responded in kind by wrapping his legs around his boyfriend with great enthusiasm. And it didn't matter that Leorio was soft; to have him pressed flush against Kurapika, to feel his coarse hair tickling Kurapika's butt - this held a special kind of thrill. When Leorio bent down again to kiss him some more, Kurapika arched up to meet him.

And they kissed and kissed and kissed - until their lips were sore and their tongues heavy. And Leorio stroked Kurapika until his every breath became a moan, a choked plea, until his nails clawed into Leorio's back, leaving angry pink streaks.

Leorio was overwhelming. Leorio was warmth and protection, was tenderness and pleasure and the way he fucked him and loved him made Kurapika feel too big for his skin. When he came, spilling against Leorio's stomach and onto himself, his strangled cry was chased by laughter as he thrummed in his high. Leorio grunted and slumped onto him, catching and devouring Kurapika's giggles with his lips as he went. His tail wagged slowly, brushing the mattress to either side.

They settled into a sticky, quiet embrace. Forehead to forehead, nose to nose.

"We should get up and clean ourselves," Kurapika said without much urgence. His fingertips drummed against Leorio's back like the pitter-patter of a sweet summer rain.

"Hn," Leorio replied. "Not yet. I want to be gross with you some more."

So they stayed, all tangled up in each other.

Outside, the wind was swaying the trees, biting with the first promise of frost. Winter was coming. Slowly and unavoidable, but no longer a threat.

They would be warm, huddled close like this.


End file.
